Zootaxa 3167: 57–65 (2012) ISSN 1175-5326 (print edition) www.mapress.com/zootaxa/ Article ZOOTAXA Copyright © 2012 · Magnolia Press ISSN 1175-5334 (online edition)

Three new of quill mites (Acari: Syringophilidae) parasitizing the (Aves: Troglodytidae)

BOZENA SIKORA1, MONIKA FAJFER1, KATARZYNA KAVETSKA2 & MACIEJ SKORACKI1, 3 1Department of Morphology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Faculty of Biology, Umultowska 89, 61–614 Poznan, Poland. E-mail: [email protected] 2Laboratory of Biology and Ecology of Parasites, West Pomeranian University of Technology, Judyma 20, 71–466 Szczecin, Poland 3Corresponding author

Abstract

Three new species of syringophilid mites (Acari: Prostigmata: Cheyletoidea) associated with of the family Troglo- dytidae (Aves: Passeriformes) are described: Syringophiloidus microcerculus Sikora & Skoracki sp. nov. from Microcer- culus marginatus (Sclater) from Brasil, Aulonastus henicorhina Sikora & Skoracki sp. nov. from Henicorhina leucosticta (Cabanis) from Ecuador, and Picobia troglodytidus Sikora & Skoracki sp. nov. from Henicorhina leucophrys (Tschudi) from Costa Rica.

Key words: Acari, Syringophilidae, quill mites, ectoparasites, birds, Troglodytidae

Introduction

Quill mites of the family Syringophilidae are mono- or oligoxenous permanent parasites of birds. All members of this family inhabit quill feather where they live and reproduce. Syringophilids feed on soft tissue fluids by piercing the quill wall with their long and stiletto-like cheliceral digits (Kethley 1970). The family currently includes more than 240 species in 52 genera described from all zoogeographical regions (Skoracki & OConnor 2010; Skoracki 2011).Quill mite fauna associated with the wrens, Troglodytidae, is still poorly known. This host family includes approximately 80 species grouped in 20 genera (Kroodsma & Brewer 2005), and at present time, only three of them have been known as the hosts for syringophilid mites: 1) troglodytes (Linnaeus) as a host for Neosyringophilopsis troglodytis (Fritsch) in Germany, Poland and England, 2) T. aedon Vieillot for N. troglodytis in Canada and Neopicobia troglodytes (Skoracki et al.), 2010) in USA and 3) Thryothorus ludovicianus (Latham) for Syringophiloidus thryothorus Skoracki et al.) in USA (Bochkov & Gallo- way 2002; Skoracki & Sikora 2005; Skoracki et al. 2009, 2010; Skoracki 2011). In the present paper we describe three new species of syringophilid mites associated with neotropical wrens: Syringophiloidus microcerculus sp. nov. ex Microcerculus marginatus (Sclater) from Brasil, Aulonastus heni- corhina sp. nov. ex Henicorhina leucosticta (Cabanis) from Ecuador, and Picobia troglodytidus sp. nov. ex Heni- corhina leucophrys (Tschudi) from Costa Rica.

Material and methods

The material used in the present study was collected in the ornithological collection of the Bavarian State Collec- tion of Zoology (ZSM), Munich, Germany, from dry skins. Mites were extracted by using sharp and fine twee- zers through a longitudinal cut made in the quill by a scalpel. Before mounting, mites were softened and cleared in 10% lactic acid at +60°C for 2–3 days. For light microscope studies, mites were mounted on slides in Faure medium and examined under an Olympus BH-2 light microscope with differential interference contrast (DIC)

Accepted by A. Bochkov: 17 Nov. 2011; published: 20 Jan. 2012 57